Heartthrob
by ARandomInterloper
Summary: A short story about the start of an Octoling's little crush.


**Author's Note: This story was made for a writing contest with some other Splatoon fanfic writers. It didn't win, but it was just fun to make and I decided to upload it to the site. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Heartthrob**

**Octo Gorge…Age 12**

"Agh!" I shouted as I respawned.

"Failed the test again?" Chloe tilted her head. "This isn't a prank, right?"

"Why would I joke about this?" I asked.

"I don't know, Cass." She shrugged. "Sorry, forget I said that…hopefully you'll get it right next time."

"Hopefully…" I sighed.

"Hey, let's get some lunch!" Catherine shouted.

"Now that sounds good!" I agreed. "Come on, I'll race ya there!"

"You know I'll win…" Chloe smirked as we started jogging.

"Well, it'll be fun to race…" I said, rolling my eyes. "Plus, who knows? I could surprise you this time."

We were jogging for a few minutes before something caught my eye. I stopped to look at a poster.

_**Tournament for the Octarian Champion's Belt!**_

_**Reigning Gorge Champion Octoclobberer vs. The Honorable Octo Samurai of Octo Canyon**_

_**This Friday Night!**_

Woah…

"Hey Cass!" Chloe came running back. "What're you looking a-woah…"

"Hey!" Cathy came running over too. "Weren't we getting lu-woah…"

"Who is that guy on the right of the poster…?" I asked.

"Uh…it says Octo Samurai…" Chloe pointed out the name.

"He looks so cool…" Cathy remarked.

"He looks so strong…" Choe said.

"He looks so dreamy…" I sighed.

The other two looked at me.

"What?" I stared at them. "Those focused eyes, those huge arms, and look at that unicycle! He's perfectly balanced. What isn't dreamy about that?!"

"…Yeah…" Chloe agreed.

"I could look at him all-" ***Growl* **Cathy's stomach interrupted her. "Let's…get some lunch…"

**Later…Cafeteria…**

"Sooo…" I leaned forward. "Think we can get tickets to that fight?"

"Do you have credits yet?" Clair asked.

"I don't get paid until I'm officially a basic level…" I pointed out. "Which I won't be until I complete that stupid test…"

"Then you'll never get ticket…" Cynthia sighed.

"Geez, what's up with you guys?" I wondered. "You're usually more supportive…"

"It's just looking more like a lost cause every day." Cynthia replied.

I looked down and sighed.

"Hey, cheer up." Clair grabbed my shoulder. "Maaybe…if you work hard and make more progress on the test, I'll share my credits with you, okay?"

"Thanks, Clair!" I pulled her into a tight squeeze. "You're the best!"

"That's why she's the unofficial C-Group leader." Carla remarked.

**Three Days Later…**

Another failure…I think I did better that time…almost got to the final jump that time though…

"Hey, Clair!" I walked over. "I did better that time, so are we gonna share?"

"Uh…" She had a guilty look on her face. "I…wasn't able to earn enough…I can only afford one ticket, unfortunately…"

Oh…

"So I assume you'd give it to your favorite sister?" I guessed.

"Uh-um…well…" Her guilty look got worse. I noticed she was blushing as well.

"Oh Cod, you wanna watch Octo Samurai yourself…" I realized.

"Sorry…" She apologized.

"…Fiiiine…" I groaned. "I'll just sneak in.

"You'll get reprimanded." She pointed out.

"If I get caught." I winked.

"Cass…that's pretty devious of you…" She remarked. "I mean, I'd rather you not, but I won't stop you if you really want to…"

Yeah, it's more devious than I'm used to, but if that's what I have to do…

**Later…**

Okay…there's the entrance…

Now how to…oh...a maintenance hallway. Well, I suppose I'll just check things ooooouuut…

I scurried into the hallway and hopped into a vent.

Alright, the arena seats should be in this direc-

"AAAAHH!" I yelled as I fell through one of the vent covers, bouncing off of something squishy before facelanting on the floor.

"Ooooow…" I whined as I sat up.

"What was that?!" A large, tentacle mass looked around. It was Octoclobberer.

Geez, Octoclobberer…He looked similar to the other more developed Tentacle-cuts like Octoseekers, but he was much more massive, with four hulking arms, each with a metal fist at the end. He cut the tentacle tip at the top of his head into tenta-dreadlocks and wore a dumb metal mask over his ugly face. He lived up to his name…and was a total Heel…I heard he knocks out the referees for fun…that he always cheats his way to the win…

He then looked down at me.

"You think you can take on the champ?!" Octoclobberer glared at me. "I'LL SMASH YOU SO HARD, THE JANITOR'LL THINK SOMEONE PUKED ON THE FLOOR! LIKE THIS!"

"W-wait, wait!" My eyes widened. "It was an accident!"

"Accidents don't happen!" He said. "Everything is fated to happen! I'm fated to win, you were fated to hit my head, AND I WAS FATED TO TURN YOU INTO A STAIN ON THE FLOOR!"

Seriously?!

"Are you serious?!" I crossed my arms. "We all know Octo Samurai will flatten a heel like you! I heard you only won your Champion's Belt from calling in Salmonid Motherships to crash into Octolord. You don't deserve to win at all."

"Really now…?" He raised an eyebrow. "You gonna back up those words, missy?"

Uuuuuhhh…

He swung a fist at me. I quickly jumped out of the way.

"Stop, you lunatic!" I shouted.

"Gotta squash a bug!" He shouted.

I put my fists up as if I could take him on.

"You think a Scrawny little Octoling like you can take on this?!" He chuckled.

I mean…he wasn't wrong…I can't do this…

With a smile, he raised his fists in the air and slammed them down too fast for me to dodge. I prepared myself for the end…but…huh?

A giant Roller was blocking his metal fists.

I turned to see…

"Octo Samurai!" I gasped.

"You wanna go now?" Octoclobberer wondered.

The Samurai just pointed to the direction of the ring.

"Aha!" Octoclobberer laughed. "I get it…you wanna lose where everyone can see ya! Alrighty then…"

He then took his leave.

I turned.

"Uh…thanks…" I thanked the Samurai.

He looked at me with a confused look on his face.

"S-sorry!" I apologized. "I know it was wrong to sneak in, but…it's just…you seem so cool and I really wanted to see the fight, but I didn't have any credits…I…sorry…"

He looked at me a second before shaking his head. He looked at me as if he were thinking, and then reached into a box and pulled something out.

It was a Plushie of himself.

"Whaaat?!" My eyes widened.

He then put it in my arms and pointed towards the exit to the barracks.

"Oh…yeah, I should probably head back…" I agreed. "But wait, you're giving this to me?"

He nodded his head.

"B-but…I snuck in…" I pointed out. "Unless…it's because I'm a fan?"

He shook his head.

"…Is it…because I stood up to that bully?" I wondered. "Showing some honor against bad guys?"

He nodded his head again…His stony silence is so cool…

"Th-thank you!" I bowed my head and ran back out into the hallway. "I hope you win!"

Well…back to the barracks, I guess…

**Two Hours Later…Barracks**

My sisters came back later…

"So how was the match?" I wondered.

"It was awesome!" Carly shouted. "Octo Samurai put that no-good Octoclobberer in his place!"

"Best part was when his eye flashed and he did that spin attack." Catherine remarked.

"Sorry you missed it." Clair said.

"It's fine." I shrugged. "There'll be other matches, I'm sure."

"Hey, what are you holding?" Carla wondered.

"Oh?" I held up the stuffed toy. "I got a plushie!"

"…From where?" Cynthia looked confused. "Did you steal it?"

"No!" I replied, annoyed that they would think that. "A cool guy gave it to me. He must've…gotten it from the gift shop."

"Gift shop?" Chloe tilted her head. "Cass, those plushies weren't at the gift shop. Only prototypes of those things exist so far. Those aren't even at the Octo Canyon gift shops yet! How did you get that?!"

My eyes widened.

Wait…he…gave me a prototype?

I looked at it and smiled…then squeezed it.

"I'm not telling!" I replied.

They were still very confused, but decided to shrug it off and head to their pods.

This plushie is so soft…Is the real you just as soft and cuddly, Octo Samurai?

Haaaaa…

I wonder if he likes me…

I mean…he gave me this…

Best Day ever…so far…

**The Next Day…**

"I wrote Haiku about him!" I showed Clair.

"…You…do realize Haiku is 5-7-5 syllables, not words, right?" She asked.

"Oh…" Now I feel stupid. "Well…I'll get it next time!"

I didn't…but I'm sure Octo Samurai would appreciate my efforts…

Haaaa…

He loves me…He loves me not...He loves me-

**After-Story Note: And that's the story of how Cass's little fan-crush on Octo Samurai started; back in the days when she actually somewhat liked her sisters. She kept that Octo Samurai Plushie to this day. **

**I was originally planning on having this story be three parts, including when Octo Samurai gets splatted in Splatoon 2, but I figured just showing how the crush got started was enough and it's a nice break for Cass to have a story that isn't depressing.**


End file.
